Apple on COVID-19 Coronavirus: Donations, Store Closings, WWDC and More

Apple has released a statement addressing their response to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic that has been affecting the entire world. The statement details many of the steps Apple has taken in response.

Apple Covid 1

  • Apple has committed $15 million in donations to the global response
  • Apple is matching employee donations two-to-one to support COVID-19 response efforts
  • All Apple retail stores outside of Greater China will close until March 27
  • Flexible work arrangements available to employees
  • Extensive, deep cleaning will continue at all sites
  • All hourly workers will continue to receive pay in alignment with business as usual operations
  • Expanded leave policies
  • Apple News has launched a new COVID-19 section
  • WWDC will be online this year

Apple's online store remains open, and for service and support, they point users to their online support site.

The statement, signed by Tim Cook, closes with the following:

There is no mistaking the challenge of this moment. The entire Apple family is indebted to the heroic first responders, doctors, nurses, researchers, public health experts and public servants globally who have given every ounce of their spirit to help the world meet this moment. We do not yet know with certainty when the greatest risk will be behind us.

And yet I have been inspired by the humanity and determination I have seen from all corners of our global community. As President Lincoln said in a time of great adversity: “The occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise with the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and act anew.”

That’s always how Apple has chosen to meet big challenges. And it’s how we’ll rise to meet this one, too.

Tim

The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has affected the entire world economy including Apple. Many other companies, organizations, and governments have been closing down activities to promote social distancing, in an attempt to reduce the transmission of the virus.

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Top Rated Comments

m4mario Avatar
70 months ago
Tim Cook will certainly be a good president.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
V_Man Avatar
70 months ago
I admit I thought this was a minor thing. Way overblown. I was wrong. This is the right thing to do.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
70 months ago

Was this going on with swine flu ans bird flu?
No, because those weren’t as contagious nor as lethal, and didn’t have the potential to infect 60% of the population and kill 3% of those affected if this sort of action was not taken.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mr. Heckles Avatar
70 months ago

Ok, you need to take a closer look at the data that the Johns Hopkins dashboard is showing you. Only 81,000 of China's 1.4billion people have tested positive for coronavirus. Of those 81,000 people, 5800 have died.
Thank a closer look, 5800 of those deaths are world wide, not just China.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
drsox Avatar
70 months ago
Tim for President.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kobalap Avatar
70 months ago

Was this going on with swine flu ans bird flu?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on April 24, 2009, declared that the containment of swine flu in the United States was “not very likely ('https://www.cdc.gov/media/transcripts/2009/t090424.htm').” Two days later, April 26, the Obama administration declared a public health emergency, before any American had been killed by the swine flu.


I admit I thought this was a minor thing. Way overblown. I was wrong. This is the right thing to do.
Hard to blame you. Some have been calling the coronavirus thing a hoax for weeks.

Even in this thread, people are still not appreciating the difference between coronavirus and the flu.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)